Changes and clinical significance of serum retinol-binding protein and prealbumin in patients with viral hepatitis B

【Objective】To explore changes and clinical significance of retinol-binding protein (RBP) and prealbumin (PA) in patients with viral hepatitis B. 【Methods】The levels of serum RBP and PA were detected respectively by immuno-turbidimetry in 178 patients with viral hepatitis B and 35 healthy controls. Statistical analyses were done. 【Results】Except chronic mild hepatitis, the levels of serum RBP and PA in other patients with viral hepatitis B were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P 0.01). The abnormal rate of serum RBP was higher than that of serum PA and ALB in the same group (P 0.05). The levels of serum RBP and PA in dead group were significantly lower than those in survival group in severe hepatitis B patients (P 0.01). Serum RBP was positively correlated with PA (r =0.728, P 0.01), serum RBP and PA were also positively correlated with ALB (r1=0.597, r2=0.516, P 0.01). 【Conclusions】The levels of serum RBP and PA were correlative with the degree of liver damage. The levels of serum RBP and PA declined with the decrease of liver function. Serum RBP and PA can be an index to reflect the degree of liver damage. The half life of serum RBP is significantly shorter than that of serum PA, serum RBP is more sensitively, rapidly and specifically to reflect changes of liver function.